Abstract

This seminar takes place in the context of the Urban digital transformation series.

This presentation critically reflects on the material urbanisation of the contemporary city and its conflicting relationship with digital capitalism. It does so by exploring the innovation district model. Innovation districts are framed as spatially delineated urban areas designed to stimulate economic growth through the clustering of high-tech industries, research institutions, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Advocates promote them as a fresh solution to economic stagnation, industrial decline, and inefficient land use, yet their emergence reflects deeper structural shifts in global capitalism. To do so, I will explore in depth the case of the 22@ innovation district, the so-called first publicly-lead innovation district project in the world. Built upon the post-industrial, working-class neighbourhood of Poblenou, the 22@ innovation district has been simultaneously the material laboratory, expression and realisation of the digitalization of the city and, lately, the basis for boosting platform capitalism in town. of the city and, lately, the basis for boosting platform capitalism in town. The presentation evaluates what the innovation district has become in this context of platform urbanism, focusing on the intractable contradictions it now internalises and expresses.

Biography

Ramon Ribera-Fumaz is a professor of Economic and Urban Geography in the Faculty of Economics and Business and director of the Urban Transformation and Global Change Laboratory in the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute, both at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain. His current research explores the political economy of digital urbanism, global urbanism and innovation districts, and the geographies of the digital and ecological transitions.

Ramon Ribera Fumaz Grup Líder/Group Leader

Urban Transformation and Global Change Laboratory (TURBA)

Internet Interdisciplinary Institute Catedràtic/Professor 

Geografia Econòmica i Urbana/Economic and Urban Geography Estudis d'Economia i Empresa/Faculty of Economics and Business

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Rambla del Poblenou 156, 08018, Barcelona